Movable fourdrinier suction box assembly



B, A. MALKIN Filed May 16, 1956 MOVABLE` FOLRDRINIER SUCTION BOXASSEMBLY Viiv Jan. 24, 1939.

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Patented Jan. 24, 1939 MOVABLE FOURDRINIER SUCTION BOX ASSEMBLY BernardA. Malkin, Lachine, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor to Dominion Engineering Works Limited, Lachine, Quebec, CanadaApplication May 16, 1936, Serial No. 80,051

4 Claims.

This invention relates to Fourdrinier machines and Iparticularly toimproved means `for moving the suction boxes back and forth across thewire and simultaneously imparting an oscillating or lateral motion tothe boxes whereby the wear on the engaging surfaces of the wire andboxes is distributed in a very desirable manner.

vAccording to this invention, each box is suspended from the suction boxrails by two horizontally swinging links which serve to impart oppositelateral or oscillating motion to the ends of the box as it is movedacross the wire. In the embodiment selected for illustration the top ofeach box is provided, near its ends, with vertical pivots rotatablysupported in vertical bearings provided at the box supporting ends ofthe links, the remaining ends of the links being provided with similarbearings tted to vertical pivots rising from the upper surface of thebox supporting rails. In order to impart the desired lateral or.oscillating motion to the ends of the box, the supporting links areoppositely inclined so that the distance between the pivots connectingthe links to the box supporting rails is less than the distance betweenthe pivots connecting the links to the box, the latter pivots beinglocated outside the rails and being spaced therefrom when the box is atright angles'to the longitudinal axes of the rails. The means providedfor moving the boxes back and forth across the wire is preferably suchthat no two adjacent boxes need be moving in the same direction at anygiven time. 'Ihe magnitude of oscillation as well as the relationbetween the cross and the oscillating or lateral motion imparted to eachbox may also be varied without affecting the remaining boxes.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description, reference will be had tothe accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a suction boxassembly provided in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the assembly appearing in Fig. l. In this viewthe operating means appearing in Fig. 1 is omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the box supporting linkswith the pivot bearings of the links shown in vertical section.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 5 designates the suction boxrails from which the suction boxes Ii are suspended by horizontallyswinging links 'I. The rail ends of the two links supporting each boxare provided with bearing housings 8 rotatably mounted on suitablevertical pivots 9 rising from plates Ill attached to the upper surfaceof the rails. The housings 8 are rotatably secured on the pivots 9 byantifriction bearings II and clamping nuts I2, the latter being coveredby suitable caps I3 screwed upon the upper ends of the housings. The boxsupporting ends of each pair of links are provided with similar bearinghousings I4 receiving vertical pivots I5 rising from plates I6 securedto the top o-r cover of the suction box. The pivots I5 are rotatablysupported in the housings I4 by the anti-friction bearings Il and theclamping nuts I8, the latter being concealed by caps I9 threaded ontothe upper ends of the housings.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, the two links supportingeach box are opposltely inclined so that the distance between the twopivots S is less than the distance between the pivots I5, the latterbeing located outside the rails 5 and being spaced therefrom when theboxes are in the position shown. Due to this arrangement of the links,the ends of each box are given an oscillating or lateral motion aboutthe pivots 9 as the box is moved back and forth across the wire.

Each box is moved back and forth across the wire by a pitman rod 20having one end connected to the box as indicated at 2I and the other endconnected to an eccentric strap 22 surrounding an eccentric 23 fixed onan operating shaft 24. Shaft 24 is driven by motor 25 through a flexibleor other suitable coupling 25.

One advantage of the invention described herein is that, in most cases,it can be adapted to existing machines with very little structuralalteration. Another advantage is that the relation between the cross andthe oscillating or lateral movement imparted to each box may be easilychanged by changing the angle of the box supporting links.

Another advantage is that, by altering the throw of the eccentric, themagnitude of oscillation of each box may be varied without affecting theremaining boxes. The setting of the various eccentrics may also be suchthat no two adjacent boxes will be moving in the same direction at anygiven time.

Having thus fully described what I now conceive to be the preferredembodiment of this invention it will be understood that variousmodications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isi- 1. A suction boxassembly comprising stationary suction box rails disposed in spacedparallel relation, a series of suction boxes extending transverselybeneath said rails and means for suspending said boxes from said railscomprising a plurality of pairs of horizontally swinging suspensionlinks, the links of each pair having their outer ends pivoted toopposite ends of one of said boxes and their inner ends directly pivotedto the adjacent rails, the links of each pair being set to lie at anangle to said rails so that the box supporting ends of the links lieoutside said rails and are spaced apart a greater distance than the railends of the links.

2. A suction box assembly as set forthin claim 1 including a rotaryshaft lying outside of but parallel with one of said rails, a pluralityof eccentrics carried by said shaft, an eccentric strap surrounding eacheccentric and pitman rods connected between said straps and said boxes,there being one rod for each box.

3. A suction box assembly as set forth in claim 1 including means forimparting reciprocating movement to said boxes, said means comprising ashaft, a plurality of eccentrics xed to said shaft, an eccentric strapsurrounding each eccentric and a plurality of pitman rods each havingone end connected to one of said eccentric straps and the other endconnected to one of said boxes, the relative angular displacement of theeccentrics being such that no two adjacent boxes are reciprocated in thesame direction at any given time.

4. A section box assembly comprising stationary suction box railsdisposed in spaced parallel relation, a series of suction boxesextending transversely beneath said rails with the ends of the boxesprojecting beyond the outer sides of the rails and means for suspendingeach box so that it may be moved back and forth across the railsindependently of the remaining boxes, said means comprising a pair ofopposed horizontally swinging suspension links each having one enddirectly pivoted to the box and the other end directly pivoted to one ofsaid rails, said links being set at an angle to the rail so that the boxsupporting ends of the links lie directly opposite each other outsidesaid rails and are spaced apart a greater distance than the remaining orrail ends of the links, a power driven shaft extending along one of saidrails and spaced outwardly therefrom, and connections between the shaftand the boxes whereby the boxes are reciprocated in response to rotationof said shaft, said connections comprising a plurality of connectingrods each having one end directly pivoted to one of said boxes and theother end operatively connected to said shaft to be actuated thereby.

BERNARD A. MALKIN.

